Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a panel, in particular a floor panel, more in particular laminated floor panel, interconnectable with similar panels for forming a covering. The invention also relates to a covering consisting of mutually connected floor panels according to the invention. The invention further relates to a method of assembling multiple floor panels for forming a covering.
Description of Related Art
The last ten years has seen enormous advance in the market for laminate for hard floor covering. It is known to install floor panels on a underlying floor in various ways. It is, for example, known that the floor panels are attached at the underlying floor, either by gluing or by nailing them on. This technique has a disadvantage that is rather complicated and that subsequent changes can only be made by breaking out the floor panels. According to an alternative installation method, the floor panels are installed loosely onto the subflooring, whereby the floor panels mutually match into each other by means of a tongue and groove coupling, whereby mostly they are glued together in the tongue and groove, too. The floor obtained in this manner, also called a floating parquet flooring, has as an advantage that it is easy to install and that the complete floor surface can move which often is convenient in order to receive possible expansion and shrinkage phenomena. A disadvantage with a floor covering of the above-mentioned type, above all, if the floor panels are installed loosely onto the subflooring, consists in that during the expansion of the floor and its subsequent shrinkage, the floor panels themselves can drift apart, as a result of which undesired gaps can be formed, for example, if the glue connection breaks. In order to remedy this disadvantage, techniques have already been through of whereby connection elements made of metal are provided between the single floor panels in order to keep them together. Such connection elements, however, are rather expensive to make and, furthermore, their provision or the installation thereof is a time-consuming occupation. There is a need to improve the coupling profiles of panels, in particular floor panels, which lead to a relatively reliable and durable connection at all edges, and which can be installed relatively easily, preferably without needing additional connection means, such as glue or metal connection elements.
Floor panels and their coupling is for instance known from WO03/016654, which discloses a fastening system for floor panels. The system comprises retaining profiles disposed on the small faces of the panels, wherein opposite retaining profiles match said retaining profiles in such a manner that similar panels can be interlinked. The panels are provided with opposite first retaining profiles that are configured in such a manner that on a panel being in first line a new panel can be locked in second line by attaching the new panel to the installed panel at a temporary angle relative to the installed panel and then swiveling it down into the plane of the installed panel. The panel further comprises opposite second retaining elements that comprise corresponding hook elements. A hook connection can be established by means of one of the hook elements of the new panel and a hook element of a panel that is already installed in second line by swiveling down the new panel. Every hook connection is associated with an additional locking element that prevents, in the hooked state of two panels, the hook connection from being released in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the installed panels.
US2011/056167 discloses a method of assembling resilient floorboards including the step of bending an edge of a floorboard during the assembling. The bending reduces the force required for connection of the edge to another edge of a juxtaposed floorboard.